Eseria triumphantly stepped into the garden. After looking around, she finally saw the person she’s looking for and ran towards him.

「Dolpa, hello!」

The gardener, Dolpa, looked back in a hurry after hearing a voice coming from behind him that seemed to be greeting him. He was surprised and slightly lifted up the brim of the hat he was wearing as sun protection.

「Oh, oohhh? It’s rare for you to be here, Eseria-sama. You dislike bugs so you’ve never been in the garden before.」

「Past is past, present is present. Rather than that, do you have stones here?」

A sudden unexpected request was made by an unexpected person. The middle-aged Dolpa wrinkled his forehead in deep thought.

「Stone? What do you need them for?」

He had no idea what or why she wanted stones from him. However, when he heard Eselia’s answer, he became even more puzzled.

「Well, I want 64 stones of similar sizes, about this big, and preferably round and flat. Thickness should be about this.」

「Okay?」

「There are a lot of pebbles in the garden, right?」

Eseria asked with a smile and made a circle with her thumb and index finger while her middle finger, forefinger, and little finger and sticking up. However, Dolpa replied apologetically.

「Well, there are certainly a lot of pebbles in the garden but when it comes to the size and shape you’re looking for….and given that you need a lot, I’m not sure if you’ll ever complete them in years.」

「Eh? Is that so….」

「My apologies, ojousama.」

(Thinking about it carefully, it seems like there’s no place where I can see gravel in a garden like this. My idea was too optimistic. Kuh! I want plastic molding technology!)

When Dolpa was calming down Eseria, Cornelia, who was silently watching the conversation between the two, raises her voice for a question.

「Eseria? You want a lot of things that are of the same size and shape?」

「Yeah」

「Then, why not make it using cork?」

「Cork…..is that the thing that is used to plug wine bottles!? Does that thing exist!?」

After hearing the conversation of the two and seeing the shape she made using her two fingers, Cornelia casually gave her suggestion. Eseria immediately approached her elder sister with an excited expression. The pressured Cornelia replied.

「Y-yeah, it does. It’s made from the bark of a cork oak tree so if Eseria gives the shape and dimension you just said earlier, you can ask someone to make as much as possible.」

「Who is that “someone”!?」

「That “someone” should be….chief butler Cartas, yeah, I’m sure. Cork oak is one of the specialty products of our territory so we have a lot of stocks at the merchant’s place. They should be able to process and mold it according to what you like.」

「Specialty of our duchy!? That caught me off guard, I didn’t realize it at all!! Cartas!!」

After hearing out her elder sister, Eseria thought a little then suddenly started screaming. She ran straight to the house as vigorously as she left earlier.

「Eseria! Don’t just start running suddenly! That’s dangerous!」

「Ojousama, please wait!」

「Dolpa-san, apologies for bothering you!」

「No, I don’t mind….」

After that, Cornelia and the others started running in a hurry again. Dolpa was stunned as he was left alone in the garden. He muttered something after.

「After getting injured, Eseria-ojousama has become quite noisy….」

Although it was Dolpa who said that, a lot of workers in the duke’s house had a similar impression.

「Cartas!! Where have you been!! Why are you moving around the mansion!!」

「It’s time for my regular check-up of each place….」

An energetic Eseria, who’s running out of breath, opened the door leading to the kitchen. Of course, not only Cartas but the chefs there are surprised too. He tried to ask for what she wanted but he was interrupted by Eseria’s screaming.

「By the way, Eseria-sama, do you need anything from m….」

「Cork! Round and flat! All in the same shape! One side is black while the other is white! 64 pieces!! Immediately!!」

「Yes?」

Cartas was confused. However, Eseria grabs him with her left hand while conveying what she wants using her right hand with a devilish expression.

「About this size!」

「Ano….」

「About this thick!」

「That, Eseria-sama?」

「Don’t paint it in a semicircle!? Paint it like the back and front of a coin!? Get it!?」

「……I won’t stand in the ceremony. I’ll arrange it at once.」

「Good, please do.」

Defeated by Eseria’s extraordinary power, Cartas replied involuntarily without asking why she wants them. When she heard him, she returned to her heel and went back to her room.

「Ah,…..E-Eseraia! You, what the……where…..」

「Oneesama, I’m done with my business so I’m going back to my room.」

「I-is that so………great」

The staggering Cornelia, who finally caught up to her little sister, realized that she would not run around the house anymore so she sighed with relief along with the two maids.